The Kansas City Chiefs have added another developmental piece to their defensive front, signing defensive end Niles King out of San Diego State while waiving receiver Jeff Caldwell with an injury designation.
King arrives in Kansas City after already spending time with another AFC West team. The Los Angeles Chargers signed him in April, then released him a couple of weeks later, and now the undrafted free agent gets another shot on an active roster.
At San Diego State, King turned in a productive final season, finishing with 30 tackles, 10 for a loss, and 6.5 sacks. His college track record stretches beyond the Aztecs, too. Before transferring, he put up 20 sacks, 70 tackles and four forced fumbles over 34 games at Grand Valley State.
The appeal is easy to see on paper. King checks in at 6’6”, 265 pounds with 34-5/8-inch arm length, giving him the kind of frame teams want to work with.
The Aztecs described him as a fast-twitch pass rusher, and he’s viewed as a long athlete who can win with first-step burst instead of leaning only on his size. That length also gives him a chance to hold up against the run, which is why he could develop into a three-down player if things click.
Still, the climb is steep. King isn’t viewed as an elite athlete, and his combine numbers were considered solid rather than spectacular, so he’ll need to sharpen what he already does well.
The timing matters, too. With cutdowns coming Sunday, King is entering a critical week. The Chiefs like to use preseason games to get a real look at rookies, and he could get that opportunity this week against the Seattle Seahawks.
Kansas City is also trying to get younger on defense, and the best outcome for King may be to do enough against Seattle to land on the practice squad. It’s a tough path, but that’s been the story of his career so far.
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